Currys' Trade-In Deals Knock Customers off Their Feet

A new campaign for Currys, the UK’s largest tech retailer, dramatizes the shocked reactions of customers when they discover just how good the retailer’s trade-in deals really are. The scale of their responses leaves consumers in no doubt that it’s easy – and lucrative – to recycle their old tech.

The campaign highlights Currys’ ‘enhanced’ trade-in offers, where customers receive above-market prices for their old mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smart watches and others. By positioning Currys as the go-to destination for electrical recycling, the work underscores how easy it is to trade in unwanted tech, while earning great rewards. Customers can bring in old devices they no longer need and receive money off a new purchase, making sustainable shopping both simple and worthwhile.

Over 62,000 products were traded in at Currys in 2024, with an average value of £150, being paid out to customers per transaction. From smartphones to games consoles, all the old, unwanted tech is then redirected up to Europe’s largest repair lab – Currys’ 500,000 sq foot facility in Newark – to be harvested for parts, refurbished and re-sold, or recycled. Together, this vast facility assesses almost three million items a year, the equivalent to 103,000 tonnes of e-waste collected for recycling, making Currys one of the nation’s leading tech re-users and recyclers.

In a less soggy follow up to last year's 'Drenched' campaign, AMV BBDO again uses humour to bring to life the idea that Currys’ offers can seem too good to be true, this time replacing a watery payoff with a colourful ball pool immersion.

The films show customers literally stunned to discover from Currys staff just how much their old tech is worth and how much money it can save them on their next purchase. They might be floored by the news, but luckily there is always somewhere safe to land: a ball pool that has been strategically placed in-store by thoughtful colleagues.

As always, Currys’ unflappable colleagues display a supreme ingenuity to go above and beyond in pursuit of customer service. The perfectly coordinated team displays their ability to work together in a cool, non-verbal manner; they are so well drilled it’s almost like they are telepathic.

Colleagues are shown efficiently valuing customers’ old tech before helping to find the new upgrade that’s right for them. In doing so, they skilfully address some of the challenges of sustainability: people don’t know what can be recycled or what recycle programs are available, and they don’t realise how much the old tech that’s lying around their houses is worth.

This is the latest instalment of the ongoing Beyond Techspectations brand platform, which has seen ROI supercharged for the brand. Every marketing pound spent has been paid back into the business by increasing sales and while this has already seen compelling growth in ROI in the previous year, this was turbo-charged by +44% YoY. Along with this the work has pushed Currys to the #1 spot for knowledgeable and helpful staff, made it the #1 preference, opening up clear space from Amazon and the campaign work has become #1 for comms awareness.

Aisling Lancaster, head of brand and advertising at Currys said, "We really like this ball pit concept. It uses humour to show how our colleagues go above and beyond and also offers an unexpected surprise as the customers fall back in incredulity at our enhanced trade-in offers! At Currys, we love selling new tech, but we also care about saving it too. That's why if a customer wants to buy something new, our trade-in offering gives them that all-important bridge between old and new tech, saves them some money and ensures their unwanted tech is given a longer life too."

AMV BBDO creative directors Jez Tribe and Dave Westland said, “We love how these scripts build on the well-established idea that Currys’ trade-in deals are shockingly good. The staff know just how unbeatable the offers are, so they have well drilled procedures to keep their stunned customers safe. It’s yet another fun way to tell the story of Curry's colleagues' dedication to delivering extraordinary customer service.”

Elizabeth Swadling, business director at Spark Foundry said, “Our media strategy builds on last year’s success, leveraging video-first, high reach platforms that amplify the humour-driven content to grab audience attention. Rolling out across YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, our approach ensures full-funnel targeting throughout, keeping consumers engaged at every stage of their purchasing journey.”

Two executions, each tailored to feature a different Vision or Small Domestic Appliance supplier – including Sony, LG and Samsung – twist and escalate the well-established idea that Curry’s trade-in deals are shockingly good. The campaign is running across TV and online channels, including YouTube, Meta and TikTok.